Prosecutor Kim Seo-Jin - Chapter 28

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Childishly (1)
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“You’ve made an excellent choice. I’ll begin immediately.”
-Begin? What do you mean?
“Yes, Chief of Staff, remain quiet. Show no signs of anything unusual, just as always. Simply assist Congressman Cho Seon-bong well. And do listen to what Chief of Staff Lee Sang-ju says from time to time.”
Seo Jin ended the call and lifted his gaze.
The sign reading “Cho Seon-bong’s Congressional Office” came into view.
That sign, soon to be destroyed—Seo Jin raised his phone to his ear again as he stared at it.
The dial tone sounded.
Then came the voice.
-This is Eom Il-seop.
“Congressman, it’s me.”
-Shall we begin?
“Yes.”
-Let’s watch those Minguk Party bastards make a fuss.
Congressman Eom Il-seop’s chuckling laughter came through the line.
He believed he was using Seo Jin.
Unaware that the opposite was true.
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“We’ve arranged for the broadcast station this weekend. We’ll tour the Traditional Market and….”
Congressman Cho Seon-bong nodded as he listened to Chief of Staff Woo Jin-wook.
“Station the party operatives.”
“Understood.”
When Congressman Cho Seon-bong toured the market, he needed people to chant his name.
To the camera they would appear as market merchants, but they were all operatives of the Minguk Party.
It was to convey to the media that public sentiment toward Congressman Cho Seon-bong was solid.
“Guard well so the market women don’t swarm him.”
“Yes.”
“And skip that Tteokbokki Restaurant.”
“Sir?”
A Tteokbokki Restaurant visit was essential to any market tour.
It allowed him to demonstrate his true common touch while eating street food.
“Change it to a pajeon restaurant.”
“Why…?”
The answer came from Lee Sang-ju, who sat beside Congressman Cho Seon-bong.
“Don’t you remember? Last time the congressman visited, the owner was shouting that business was bad.”
Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong nodded.
“Am I a god? Why are you complaining to me because you lack business acumen? Just keep the hygiene clean. You beggars—who eats street food like that anymore these days?”
“Then next, the apartment seniors’ association….”
“That’s fine too. Send them 100,000 won in donations and call it done.”
“Assemblyman….”
Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong slowly rose to his feet.
“Chief Secretary Wi, this is my district. Even without all this fuss, they’ll all vote for me. So don’t worry. Just go take some photos at the orphanage and we’re guaranteed to win.”
There was a rumor that even if a dog held the Minguk Party flag in this region, it would be elected.
Then.
“Wait a moment.”
Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong raised his hand toward his two aides.
His cell phone was ringing.
The expression on Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong’s face changed completely as he answered.
His voice became bright and cheerful.
“Oh, Reporter Park! How have you been? I’ve been meaning to see you, but it’s been difficult. I’m planning to visit the orphanage. Want to come along? You know I absolutely adore children. Hahahaha!”
It was a lie.
Normally, he never set foot in the orphanage.
Something about contagious diseases among those beggars, or whatever.
But in that moment, Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong’s expression twisted.
“…What? What kind of nonsense is that! You believe that? Hey, Reporter Park!”
Something was beginning to go wrong.
Chief Secretary Wi Jin-wook’s mind recalled Seo Jin’s words.
“Then we’ll begin right away.”
‘Is this it?’
That was when.
The door burst open and his aide poked his head in.
At the ominous expression, Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong’s face crumpled mercilessly as he held the phone.
“What!”
“A, Assemblyman….”
“What, you bastard!”
The aide picked up the remote and pressed the power button.
Assemblyman Eom Il-seop appeared on the screen, and the reporter’s voice came through urgently.
-Daehan Party Assemblyman Eom Il-seop is filing a report of admission fraud allegations against Cho Young-hyun, the son of Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong, at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office….
The reporter’s voice faded and Assemblyman Eom Il-seop’s voice came through.
-Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong claims we must achieve a fair society. But his son Cho Young-hyun wrote a paper on biotechnology in high school and gained university admission through the admissions officer system! Yet his mathematics grades were terrible, and….
Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong, watching the screen, thrashed and shouted.
“That, that crazy bastard—what is he doing!”
But Assemblyman Eom Il-seop’s voice did not stop.
-He passed the public recruitment exam for TL Group’s new drug division. Yet his GPA is 2.8, he’s never taken an English certification test, and he only has a few computer certificates.
Assemblyman Cho Seon-bong staggered.
Woo Jin-wook steadied him.
“Assemblyman! Are you alright? Assemblyman!”
Cho Seon-bong pressed his forehead and barked out his voice.
“Get a response article out immediately! Now!”
Woo Jin-wook and Lee Sang-ju rushed outside.
The intern and accompanying secretary, who had been waiting for instructions, nodded, and Lee Sang-ju spoke urgently to them.
“Mi-hyun, go buy a cold drink for the Assemblyman from the convenience store downstairs. And Dong-gu, check if my bag is in the car trunk.”
“Yes!”
The two rushed out.
But in a situation like this, an errand for a drink was an odd instruction.
Woo Jin-wook stared at Lee Sang-ju.
“…What’s with the sudden drink, and why check the trunk?”
Lee Sang-ju turned to Woo Jin-wook with a seriousness I had never seen before.
And he opened his mouth in a whisper.
“Jin-wook… Let’s delay it a bit.”
“What?”
“Let’s delay the response article a bit!”
Lee Sang-ju’s greedy eyes slowly turned toward Cho Seon-bong’s office.
He continued.
“Jin-wook. That old man’s been at this too long. This is our chance. How much longer are we going to keep cleaning up after that old man?”
Woo Jin-wook unconsciously took a step back.
Lee Sang-ju—just moments ago, he was wagging his tail in that office, suggesting they push me out.
But now he’s trying to destroy Cho Seon-bong.
The man seemed like a grotesque monster.
‘A piece of trash.’
Then Seo Jin’s voice brushed past Woo Jin-wook’s ear once more.
“And listen to what Assistant Lee Sang-ju has to say as well.”
Woo Jin-wook felt goosebumps rise on his skin.
‘What is this?’
It was a different kind of shock from seeing Lee Sang-ju’s true nature.
Everything unfolding right now seemed to move according to Seo Jin’s words.
No, it felt as though Seo Jin was speaking after seeing the future.
‘Then….’
Woo Jin-wook’s eyes shifted to Lee Sang-ju.
Seo Jin had clearly said there was a bomb to drop on Lee Sang-ju’s house.
And that would come to pass as well.
Then I should follow Seo Jin’s words now.
Only then could I hear Lee Sang-ju’s screams.
Woo Jin-wook swallowed dryly and opened his mouth.
“Yes, let’s do that.”
Lee Sang-ju smiled faintly and tapped Woo Jin-wook’s arm.
“No matter what happens, we’re friends. Got it?”
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Seo Jin had finished his business in Seoul and was heading straight to Dongnam County.
Political matters could wait for now.
The next stretch of time belonged to them—time for them to clash and struggle.
My turn would come after that.
For now, I had to focus on what I did best.
I arrived in Dongnam County at five in the afternoon.
‘A bit late.’
Feeling apologetic toward those who’d worked through the night, I stopped at a tteokbokki restaurant and bought an assortment of items.
Tteokbokki, fried snacks, sundae, and kimbap.
As I pushed open the office door with my arms full of plastic bags, zombies with dark circles hanging down to their chins greeted me.
“…You’re here?”
The first to greet me was Lim Jung-taek, the investigator who’d been yearning for a life with evenings off.
He looked at me with desperate eyes and spoke.
“I’m not even asking for on-time departures anymore. Just letting us leave would make me happy.”
Lim Jung-taek’s gaze, which had been uttering death wishes, shifted to my hands.
“What’s that?”
“Both hands heavy with good things.”
I shrugged and lifted the black plastic bags, and Lim Jung-taek’s face filled with a bright smile.
He spoke playfully.
“Wow! Poison! After eating this, are we staying overnight at the District Prosecution Office again?”
Lim Jung-taek and the other staff members crowded around.
Snacks were always the truth—a brief escape from exhaustion, a moment to enjoy ourselves.
And Lee So-hee turned her tired head to look at me.
“You’re an hour late?”
“Sorry.”
“What’s that?”
The last black plastic bag in my hand.
“Your favorite Shake Shack burger.”
“Huh?”
At the same moment, all the other staff members’ eyes turned toward me.
A brief silence, then a mischievous voice.
“…We like Shake Shack too.”
“Ah… Since I was running late, I was planning to give it to Prosecutor Lee So-hee first to appease her, and once her anger cooled, I’d bring out the rest of the burgers I left in the car. I thought since Prosecutor Lee So-hee loves food so much, feeding her would calm her down. Then everyone would be happy, wouldn’t they? Was I wrong?”
Do Min-ji covered her mouth with an apologetic expression.
“Oh my, I had no idea you had such noble intentions. We thought you were only looking after Prosecutor Lee So-hee. We’re truly sorry.”
Lee So-hee shook her head and snatched the hamburger from my hands.
“Do I look like a child to you? I’m not upset. Bring the others’ food quickly.”
As she spoke, Lee So-hee was smiling brilliantly at the hamburger.
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“What about Assemblyman Wi Jun-sang?”
“He confessed. We secured the CCTV footage and found the cash in the apple box.”
Work resumed immediately after the snack break.
I was listening to Lee So-hee brief me on everything that had been handled.
“What about Park Sang-young?”
“He hasn’t shown any arrogant behavior, but he seems to have lost his mind.”
Investigator Lim Jung-taek, organizing documents beside us, chuckled.
“He keeps asking for the death penalty. That’s the last thing he said before he took a vow of silence.”
Division Chief Park Sang-young had realized after speaking with Prosecutor Kim Young-jun that there was no way out, and had given up entirely.
I handed over the documents and asked.
“What about the civil servant who accepted the bribe?”
“Still a suspect for now, but he’ll become a defendant in a few days.”
Then, ding.
My phone rang.
It was Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
-You got it, right? Come to the senior prosecutor’s office.
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“You called for me?”
Senior Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong’s office.
I bowed ninety degrees toward Senior Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong and Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo.
“Sit.”
Senior Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong pointed in front of him with his finger.
His tone wasn’t usually harsh, but today his voice was remarkably gentle.
Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, sitting beside me, was only letting out heavy sighs.
“What’s this about…?”
I asked cautiously.
Senior Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong looked at me with an apologetic expression.
“There are many people who envy you.”
In a short time, I had solved the sister insurance fraud murder case, the Yoo A-sung murder case, and now the Wi Jun-sang bribery case.
“We know that’s because of your abilities, Prosecutor Kim.”
But there are those who don’t see it that way.
“They think you’re under my patronage.”
The Prosecutor’s Office is a place where people live and work.
Those who don’t follow orders get complicated cases, while the favored ones receive easy cases with good results.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong exhaled cigarette smoke and continued speaking.
“That’s why rumors have started circulating that I’m managing your career, Prosecutor Kim.”
Seo Jin had resolved the cases through his own abilities.
But those unaware of this already believed he had merely added a spoon to cases that were already solved.
“Criminal Division 1 and 2 have begun to resent and suspect us.”
Because I was receiving all the attention of the District Prosecution Office.
Moreover, with rumors circulating that the District Prosecutor was preparing to move to Seoul by joining forces with the political establishment, they were practically losing their minds.
Petty jealousy—that was the reason.
“So here’s what I’m thinking… Let’s take on one of the troublesome cases that Criminal Division 1 has been holding.”
-Troublesome case: A noun meaning sediment or residue that has sunk to the bottom.
-In legal circles, it refers to complex, messy cases or long-standing unsolved cases.
-If you fail to resolve it, your career can suffer a blemish during your tenure.
-There’s also a belief that receiving such a case brings bad luck or incurs the superior’s displeasure.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong looked genuinely apologetic.
But Seo Jin fell into deep thought.
‘A troublesome case?’
Deliberately seeking out and solving unsolved cases was entirely different from being assigned a troublesome case.
Especially one that Criminal Division 1 had been struggling with.
If I could pull it off, I would truly earn recognition.
From all the skilled prosecutors gathered in Dongnam County.
‘High risk, high return.’
As Seo Jin licked my dry lips, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong’s voice reached my ears.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. But I won’t spare any support…”
“I’ll do it.”
“You will?”
“Yes.”
At my ready answer, Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo, who had been sitting quietly until now, widened his eyes.
“Hey, you didn’t understand what a troublesome case means and just agreed, did you? Let me explain what a troublesome case is…”
“I understand. I’ll do it.”
Seo Jin answered clearly once more.
Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Gwan-yong and Prosecutor Lee Myung-soo blinked their eyes.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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